Hi guys,

Is anyone else looking to learn to forward loop?

Mines the usual story, been thinking about it for ages but haven't plucked up the courage to go for it but i think if a few of us learn at the same time then we can push each other on and finally get there.

Would anyone else be up for learning with me?

hi mate, same here, just bought an older board to throw around. i reckon the best wind is about 20 kts like yesterday. where do you sail?

This, hands down, helped me more than anything else to learn the forward.



The secret to learning things quickly isn't blindly (and most cases, painfully) attempting moves. Be smart about it. Break it into 3-4 moves so that you can master each one then combine them.

Using the above method you can practice the feeling on <15kn and in flat water. You'll look like a kook for a few days, so what. You'll feel more confident with the 'getting thrown forward OMG' feeling which accounts for 90% of the difficulty of a forward. Don't take it as the gospel, but step one-two in the vid are pretty good steps to learn. Most of the other tutorial vids on youtube show pretty psycho loops off decent waves, which if ur learning is a good way to get owned.

This helped me a ****load. Hope it works for you.

Great idea, put me down for it!

I had a couple of serious attempts at gnaraloo and bailed both times, I desperately need someone to call me a big fat nancy boy with no cojones.

Thanks for the vid Ozpricey!

Thanks guys that's awesome.

Now we've got a few of us interested i reckon we'll nail it

I usually sail up around Pinaroo point or Quinns or Lancelin as i live in Butler.

I used to be an instructor for Neilson and i found that filming the guys i was teaching that week and then showing them the video back afterwards helped them tons as they could see what they were doing right/wrong so im wondering if it will help learning to loop as well, ive got a video camera which ill bring down as well so we can all see ourselves trying, if nothing else it'll be a good laugh with a beer afterwards.

Where do all the rest of you guys usually sail?

Also OzPricey would you recommend getting an older board to learn this on, did you wreck any boards when you were learning?

One last thing, with the getting in the footstraps non-planing, i'm quite heavy at about 90-95 kilos and at the moment i've got a 102ltr JP FSW board, would this be ok or do you think i should get a bit of a bigger board for the initial learning non-planing footstrap stuff?

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nebbian said...

I desperately need someone to call me a big fat nancy boy with no cojones.

Your a big fat nancy boy with no cojones[}:)]

I'm in. My lack of cajones has been holding me back for years

hahah the way its going im probally going to able to forward loop before executing a decent jibe lol!

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Alimac23 said...


Also OzPricey would you recommend getting an older board to learn this on, did you wreck any boards when you were learning?

One last thing, with the getting in the footstraps non-planing, i'm quite heavy at about 90-95 kilos and at the moment i've got a 102ltr JP FSW board, would this be ok or do you think i should get a bit of a bigger board for the initial learning non-planing footstrap stuff?

No as you end up jumping away from your board its usually ok. Also because you throw the rig away from you in a forward/wymaroo the only thing to hit is water if your doing it right.

I always sail with a thick boom-bra and would recommend a mast base foot pad cover thing, also an uphaul is a must for light wind attempts.

Use a board thats comfortable. If you sinking while uphauling in light winds use a bigger board. Common sense. Slalom/Freestyle/Wave whatever as long as you have the litres for comfy uphauls/waterstarts. You won't be on the plane for the first steps in the vid. And you won't be trying those steps for long before you nut it out/get bored of it.

find a mate. then put a carton bet on who can land one first. (looser buys)
I did one the next day.
Was all the motivation i needed.

the next carton challenge is for the flaka!

Around Pinaroo is good for me

Hey Guys I'd be up for doing some damage to myself learning.

I have said to myself for the past 2 seasons will have a go but always wimp out so having other people doing at the same time I reckon might work!

Let me know when your going Pinaroo next time it's windy

Right, now there's a few of us interested let's get this thing going.

It's looking ok for tomorrow so let's have our first learn to loop session tomorrow down at pinaroo point, can anyone make that?

Will be there late...

dont forget to drink a beer before you hit the water! takes the edge off the nerves!

Im keen as well but can't get out of work until the earliest 5:00pm. Is that too late to get from the city to Pinaroo?

Hey Oli, 5 might be a little bit late as it'll be starting to get dark by the time you get there but by all means give it a shot.

Also I'm thinking of heading to quinns this arvo instead of pinaroo if anyone wants to join us, just been down there and it's looking good already.

How'd you go Alimac and Oli?

Thanks for that vid Ozpricey, it seems to pop up and get squashed again on youtube all the time, I needed to watch it again.

So I tried step 1 and got all the way round. Just need to keep the board on my feet now!

Not nearly as scary as I was expecting. The feeling of being whipped around the front without then getting pile driven into the water is one that takes some getting used to.

Did a couple more step 1's today, trying to do step 2's but the board just stays stuck to the water.

Did you get out Alimac?

(Feel free to call me names for not having the guts to try sheeting in when I was actually in the air)

When the spin thing worked, the start of it felt like a flare gybe. Sub planing, lean the mast to the outside of the turn, but instead of leaning to the inside and sheeting out, you lean to the outside and sheet in [}:)]

A microsecond later I'm in the waterstart position, with the board having disconnected itself from my feet as it pointed downwind

So I tried it on a steeper wave but I found it hard to time my gybe right so that the nose of the board would end up in the air when the 'wave' hit...

Greenroom, comments welcome

I honestly think your making it all too hard. Forget the vids and step by step practice halfway around loopy things or whatever... Just bloody do it! Dont practice on the beach with you sail off a sand dune either. Sure its scary thinking about it but nothing beats just doing it!
Dunedenite gave me the best tip ever which was 'just pull the trigger'.
My simple steps to forward looping would be...
1 Find a ramp, wave or chop.
2 Move backhand back.
3 Jump downwind.
4 Look back.
5 Sheet in hard and enjoy the ride

i've learned the front loop this season and this vid helped me,,,you just have to go for it!

my 2 c worth
back hand way back
jump
pull back hand hard up to your face
check out pros vids and see how close their back hand is to their head
at start of loop
also wear a wetty

Gave step 1 a go on Friday arvo but I think I need to watch the vid again cause something didn't feel right. Are you going to Cervantes this weekend Nebbs? If so, might have a bit of a crack up there with you.

gave step 1 a go yesterday at Lanno and it feels pretty safe...

Also, gave step 4 a go but it feelt like I did not have enough air (board was kind of stuck / sucked to the water..)

Guess its just abt find a nice little ramp and holding on!

Hey Oli and Hooksey, well done on having a go! I was starting to think that everyone had chickened out

Yep going to cervantes so would be nice to sail with someone else and have some motivation.

Tried another one yesterday, same old story not enough of a ramp so no air and the board stays put. Absolutely no swell down south yesterday

Hey well done with pulling the trigger!
Where is everyone sailing tomorrow? I honestly reckon that Pinnapoo is not a place to learn how to forward. You need waves. You need to jump. Otherwise you will just end up hitting your mast in the water.
Just head out through the break and when you spot a wave go for it!

2 Move backhand back.
3 Jump downwind.
4 Look back.
5 Sheet in hard

Sounds stupid but the board 'getting stuck' sounds like your trying the move before you get air. I did this a bit when I was learning. Remember to get airborne first!

Other nugs of info to help control the spin:
Leaning back at initiation = more horizontal spin
Leaning forward at initiation = more vertical spin

To increase spin rate take off further off the wind. If your overpowered dont head off the wind, as much.

Hey guys!!!

I'm still here and ready for action, i havent been out much over the last few days as ive got the rents here from the UK.

I managed to get out at pinaroo the other day and i realised that i'm actually pretty bad at jumping off of small swell/waves so i went on a bit of a practise session and ended up going over the front and on a couple of occassions i hung onto the rig and went forward taking the board with me, i still havent done the whole step 1-2 thing but am going out tomorrow and am keen to go for it so if anyone is at pinaroo then let me know and we can spur each other on.

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decrepit said...


If you sheet in without leaning it forwards and sideways, it will push the nose down, (the start of a forward loop).

I've got the start, it's the second bit where you realise you're about to catapult yourself into the water that's the problem...

... Anyone think that trying to just do a 180 would mentally be easier than trying to do a full somersault?

^^^ Nope

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nebbian said...

decrepit said...


If you sheet in without leaning it forwards and sideways, it will push the nose down, (the start of a forward loop).

I've got the start, it's the second bit where you realise you're about to catapult yourself into the water that's the problem...

... Anyone think that trying to just do a 180 would mentally be easier than trying to do a full somersault?

This is where looking back helps enormously I reckon. If you've been sailing for a fair while that catapult reflex is ingrained in the muscle memory and it's very hard to shake, particularly when you can see it coming. Looking back at the clue somewhat alleviates this in my opinion.